Osaka falls prey to ‘stress’ Home boy storms into final
Beijing, Oct. 6: Naomi Osaka admitted that she gets “stressed out” trying to live up to “the hype” after the US Open champion was beaten in the China Open semi-finals on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Japanese, who struggled with a back injury in losing 6-4, 6-4 to unseeded Anastasija Sevastova, opened up afterwards on dealing with ramped-up expectations.
The world number six made headlines last month when she stunned Serena Williams in New York to win her maiden Grand Slam, in a final overshadowed by the American’s bitter row with the chair umpire.
Osaka’s shock triumph — at such a young age and against one of the greatest tennis players of all time — propelled her into the limelight.
It is a place that she is not altogether comfortable in.
“I think definitely as the weeks go by, I have this feeling of wanting to prove myself. I think that sort of takes a toll on me a little bit because I stress myself out in a way,” said Osaka.
“If you don’t win a tournament, then people will say, ‘Oh, she hasn’t won a tournament.’ If you haven’t won a Slam, they’ll say, ‘She hasn’t won a Slam’. Then if you win one Grand Slam, they’re like, ‘Oh, she only won one Grand Slam.’
“I know it’s bad, but I sort of read the comments. I’m just like, ‘Oh, I guess I have to do more, to be better.’”
Osaka, who was attempting to reach a third straight final after New York and Tokyo’s Pan Pacific Open, was unhappy with her behaviour in Friday’s quarterfinal victory over Zhang Shuai.
Osaka had been close to tears during the second set and threw her racquet, before recovering her poise.
She was more composed against the Latvian Sevastova, even though she was hindered by her back, which she said was more a case of Tokyo, Oct. 6: Twotime champion Kei Nishikori swatted aside eighth seed Richard Gasquet with very little fuss on Saturday, beating the Frenchman in straight sets to reach the Japan Open final.
Third seed Nishikori, who won the last of his 11 career titles in Memphis two years ago, completed a clinical 7-6 (7/2), 6-1 victory in 89 minutes and will be hot favourite to win the title for a third time.
He faces qualifier Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s Tokyo final after the beanpole Russian overpowered Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 63, 6-3. Nishikori, who won the Japan Open in 2012 and 2014, drew first blood against Gasquet as he tore through the first-set tiebreak, unleashing a whipped forehand into the corner to snaffle it 7-2. The world number 12 moved through the gears in the second set and Gasquet — the beaten Tokyo finalist in 2007 — had no answer as Nishikori battered fatigue than anything more serious.
Sevastova, ranked 20th in the world, will play Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday’s final in Beijing after the Danish second seed defeated Chinese wildcard Wang Qiang 6-1, 6-3.
Juan Martin del Potro goes straight into the men’s final without hitting a ball after Italy’s Fabio Fognini pulled out of their semi-final with an ankle injury.
The Argentine top seed will face either Britain’s fifth seed Kyle Edmund or unseeded Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.
— AFP shots past him at a dizzying pace.
Once Nishikori, a former US Open runner-up who reached the New York semi-finals last month, bagged an early break in the second set, French resistance faded and he put Gasquet out of his misery with a sizzling backhand down the line. “I figured there might be a tiebreak in there,” said Nishikori, who is chasing a first title since recovering from a lengthy wrist injury.
“He’s such a dangerous opponent, but I stayed focus and found a nice groove. It’s just great to be back in the final.”
Nishikori will be attempting to join Pete Sampras as a three-time winner of the Japan Open, whose list of former winners also includes Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Ken Rosewall.
Only Sweden’s Stefan Edberg has captured more Tokyo titles, winning four times between 1987 and 1991. — AFP